Another NFC West Clash Delivered An Entertaining Thursday Night Football Game
Last week it was the Arizona Cardinals against the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks got by with the 23-20 win and into second place in the division. This week two other NFC West teams sitting at 3-1 met up in Los Angeles. It resulted in another NFC West clash that delivered an entertaining Thursday Night Football game. The San Francisco 49ers dueled with the Los Angeles Rams coming into the game with multiple injuries.
San Francisco got the ball first and went on a long drive nicely mixing the run and the pass for 87 yards in 12 plays. Backup quarterback Mac Jones has been filling in for Brock Purdy who is out with a toe injury. Jones hit Kendrick Bourne for a 35-yard yard reception which helped them to score a touchdown on their opening drive. Ultimately Jake Tonges caught the six-yard touchdown for the first score of the game.
When the Rams took the field they tried running the ball a few times. However, Matthew Stafford was sacked for an 11-yard loss. And they had to punt the ball. The 49ers came back and scored another touchdown again mixing the pass and run to effectively move down the field. The Rams then fumbled the ball on their next possession. But the 49ers couldn’t capitalize on the turnover and had to punt.
So the Rams decided to do what they do best and put the game in Stafford’s hands. They didn’t attempt to run the ball even once on their next possession. Passing their way down the field the drive ended with a 14-yard touchdown reception by Kyren Williams. San Francisco tacked on a 37 yard field goal. The game went into halftime with the 49ers leading 17-7.
Another NFC West Clash Delivered An Entertaining Thursday Night Football Game
Momentum switched to the Rams in the second half. As they often do the Rams played better starting in the third quarter. And Jared Verse was disruptive on defense. Pressuring Mac Jones and forcing him to throw the ball too early. Meanwhile Stafford kept chucking the ball down the field. In the third quarter they scored a touchdown and missed a field goal. Kyren Williams continued to run the ball well and Puka Nacua was his usual productive self converting on key third downs.
The Rams scored another touchdown but missed the extra point, tying the game at 20-20. Things were looking bleak for the 49ers until kicker Eddie Piniero scored a 59-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, giving the lead back to San Francisco with just under three minutes left in the game. And of course you never want to leave time on the clock for Stafford. The Rams quickly got to the 1-yard line and Kyren Williams had the ball punched out of his arm. The 49ers recovered it but quickly went three-and-out on three conservative runs.
After the return on which the Rams incurred a penalty they had the ball at midfield with 42 seconds left. They got to 4th & 3 with 25 seconds left. It was converted on a pass to Williams. Kicker Joshua Karty tied the game at 23-23 to send the game to overtime.
Tightly Contested Game Between 49ers And Rams Goes To Overtime
Los Angeles won the coin toss and took the ball since teams are not allowed to defer in overtime. The kickoff landed outside of the landing zone so the 49ers got to start on the 40 yard line. Jones threw several underneath passes until the Rams took that option away and sacked him. They had to settle for a 41-yard field goal that bounced off the left upright before going through the goalpost.
Stafford, of course, came out slinging the ball. First a completion to Nacua then a 38- yard bomb to Tutu Atwell. The Rams got down to the 11-yard line on 4th & 1. The 49ers defense dug in and stopped Kyren Williams from getting the first down. So as commentator, Al Michaels called them the Walking Wounded, or 49ers, came away with the 26-23 victory and the division lead at 4-1.
It was tough, gritty game but very fun to watch.
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